Well today is supposed to be the day Congress votes on the funding bill that would keep the government open for business. However, there is so much crap in this funding bill that both Liberals and Right-Wingers alike are threatening to vote NO or not vote at all. The thing is, the House would have to also vote on an 3-day funding extension to keep the government open for the next three days until the Senate could vote on the same bill, assuming the Senate-House Conference didn't change anything. AND then it must go to the President to be either signed into law or vetoed. And then there is this:
(Source igovernmentshutdown.com 12/11/14)
Will there be a government shutdown 2014 like we had in 2013? No one knows for sure. But if you read the tea leaves coming from Congress and the White House, here are 5 things that could lead to a shutdown.
"government shutdown 2014"
Immigration
Congress has been deadlocked on the immigration issue for a very long time and various constituents are getting restless and pressing for action. The Senate passed a bill but the House is no where near a bill. The entire process has ground to a halt. The White House has been leaking various articles that point to action by the President before the mid-term elections. But any solo action by the President, especially one that grants residency to undocumented workers/immigrants without congressional approval is likely to lead to a government shutdown, and even talks of impeachment. As we saw this summer with the influx of undocumented children on the southern border, the issue is highly charged and any unilateral action by the White House will only poison the well and lead to a possible government shutdown. That does not mean the White House is likely to listen.
ISIS
As the crisis in the Middle East continues to unfold, and the threat from ISIS continues to grow, it is possible that congressional Republicans may see this as an issue to force the Presidents hand in confronting ISIS more aggressively, including launching strikes on Syria. The President is unlikely to follow their lead on this, which may lead congress to threaten a shutdown to force the President to take the kind of action they think is necessary.
Climate Change
There’s been a lot of buzz lately that the President is likely to push for a climate accord with other nations rather than push for a comprehensive agreement at the UN level. Several news outlets have confirmed this, which means that plans may be far advanced in pursuing this line of action. If this accord comes out and congress does not like what they see, they are likely to threaten a shutdown or actually shut down the government over this. Climate change is a more sensitive issue since it plays to the base of both parties. While the left has it’s army of people who are genuinely concerned with the environment and where we are headed now – there is also a strong group in the GOP, mostly business owners who see any regulation of CO2 emissions etc as a threat.
But if there is a shutdown, how will it affect critical services? How will it affect public assistance? For example, what will be the impact on unemployment benefits? How will it impact the elderly and their access to their social security payments and medicare plans? What will happen to unemployment benefits paid via EPPIcard? What happens to food stamps and the EBT card program? Are they going to continue – business as usual or will things change? That is what is on everyone’s mind when they think about the possibility of a government shutdown. Our politicians have an obligation to take away that fear by doing the job we elected them to.
